Preparation method

1.

Place pears with orange juice, cinnamon stick and honey into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, and then cook uncovered for 15 minutes, until pears are tender. Cool and remove cinnamon stick.

2.

While pears are cooling down, place quinoa and milk in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Add fruit medley and continue simmering for 5 minutes. Stir through sugar.

3.Put your olive oil and garlic into a large pot, (be careful, it may spit) on medium heat.

4.Add your onions and cook until it has turned translucent.

5.Add your potatoes in, but make sure they are separated. If they stay in clumps, you may end up with the bottom slice overcooked and the top slice still raw. Cook them until you feel like the potatoes are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Make sure they don’t become brown!

8.Let is simmer for a while... perhaps 20 minutes, or until your potatoes have become nice and floppy thins.

9.Make sure the taste is good, if it isn’t enough salt then add a bit more, I added a teaspoon of chicken stock at the end to make is more flavoursome, and I also served it with a boiled egg. Adapt it in any way you want to (i.e. put noodles in instead of rice, add some curry powder or paste, add some garam masala, toast on the side, croutons etc.)!

The original recipe was found here, however I have adapted it to my liking!

You would probably have noticed that my blog is now in very high maintenance... And it has been changing a lot. So I am warning you that it may look different every day! (well, maybe not. that could be an exaggeration!). Please leave a comment on how well/badly I have done with the new theme!

Well, yesterday was a bit scary. To say the least. Ok, so here is how it happened. I was drawing in my art journal when I heard that my favourite programme, Merlin, was on TV. I rushed by drawing so quickly that somehow I stabbed my Artline pen into my hand. It just dangled from my hand. It hurt so much. Then I took it out (obviously) and started to cry. Ugh, I am such a sad little wimp. We tried to get the ink out my making it bleed, but it didn't really work. Now my skin is puffy around the wound and my finger hurts. Also, the skin is tinged grey. It's really weird. Does anybody have any answers or worries?

Ok, I'll finish the post off with a nice little bunch of photographs I took yesterday, shall I?

Friday, June 11, 2010

Well, today I came home from school and found a package waiting on my bed! WOW! I was so exited! It was from a little etsy store called Charlie's Pets and Pals. I while ago, there was a bit of confusion about one of the things she was selling, so she decided to send me it for free! I am so amazed! And she also sent me a little felted bowl with a life of its own! (below)

People who know me know how much those little red + orange + black butterflies are special to me! I will treasure these two forever! :)

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Well, hello again. I'm trying to define myself. Like a dictionary definition; for example (not saying this IS myself) Mary Smith: A human specimen of fair skin, blue eyes and crafty nature. Any one in for a try? Today I was downloading all of Pugly Pixel'sfreebies, and I decided to create a little collage for the receiver of the package swap I am participating in.

A little collage, maybe I might put it on my etsy shop (if I get one)?

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Thanks to she waits for whispers blog, I am going to start a little Lovely Ladies post talking about all of the wonderful lovely ladies I have met in my life! Today I am going to talk about my mum!

Here is a picture of my wonderful mum: (one that you cannot recognise so that stalkers can't find her!:) love you mum)

So there she is, holding a yummy pomegranate. This is one of the only photographs that I have of her because we never take any photos of her... sad...

Anyway, my mum is the most special mum in the world (maybe should be voted for that one day?) because of all the work she has done. Honestly, I would think that she is holding the whole world on her shoulders. Ok, so here it goes:

Ten years ago, when I was 4 1/2 (not forty one, but four and a half) my mum had my little sister. We already knew she wouldn't be exactly normal, but when the doctors said she would only live for another week we were all horrified. Luckily, the doctors were wrong and she is still living strong today. But every year, my mum has to go through something else that is awful, like my sister having to go to hospital with a chest infection, seizure activity, and an anaesthetic to get her teeth brushed... (that's a funny one) But every time MUM has to stay in the hospital (she doesn't ever get any sleep 'cause they have the air-conditioning on at around -20 degrees, (well... not really!) and the bed's uncomfortable. (Here is where a defence wall comes up. My father does amazing stuff too, he visits her every morning and night-time and all day on the weekend, but he still has to work through the day). BTW: my sister has epilepsy and micro-lisensephely (her brain shrunk when she was in my mum womb and stuff)... but that's just a guess. She's the only person in the world with her condition.

Then, 7 and a half years ago, my other sister was born. She never got on well with this world, and when she was one year, one month and one day old God called her back to stay with her. :) She is my guardian angel. She, too, had the same condition as my other sister.

Now, mum has some sort of chronic fatigue (fibromialgia) because she doesn't sleep through the night, due to my sister's seizure activity. My dad doesn't get a good sleep, and sometimes my sister wakes me up with her breathing, but that's life, hey!!!!

My mum is still going strong, I love her so much, and maybe you can come to appreciate her as much as I do. Sorry for that long story! :) It just had to be told sometime!

I heart you sooooooooooooo soooooooooooooooo much mum. God only knows how much I love you.